Dam



DAM

Filed May 18, I195'?" fnrneus n, un,

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a dam, the general object of the invention being to provide means for impounding a certain amount of Water of a stream after which the normal flow of the stream passes from the dam, with means for impounding ood waters to prevent flooding of the country below the dam.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in Which:-

Figure l is a plan View of the improved dam used for damming waters of a stream.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

In these views the numeral I indicates the major part of the dam which extends across the stream with its ends embedded in the banks and this part of the dam should be high enough to impound flood waters. VAn opening 2 is formed in the bottom part of the dam I and this opening should be large enough to permit passage of the normal flow of the stream. A box-like structure 3 is located on the down-stream side of the dam I and includes a front Wall and end Walls, the end walls being connected with the dam I, one on each side of the opening 2, as shown. The

23 height of the structure 3 is that of the depth of the lake formed by the impounding of the normal flow of Water. When the lake formed by the dam reaches this depth then the water begins to flow over the structure 3 and flows down the bed of the stream below the dam as shown in Figure l. By having the opening 2 in the lower part of the dam silt and the like will be carried off by the water and thus prevented from filling up the river bed on the up-stream side of the-dam.

The structure 3 not only acts-cto impound the Water to form the lake butl it also acts as a support for the main dam I.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided means for impounding a certain amount of the Water in a stream and after this amount of water is impounded the dam permits the normal flow of water from the dam. However, when a flood occurs the Water in excess of that of the normal ow/ is caught and held by the dam and thus floods below the dam are prevented.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the inventicn will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A dam of the class described comprising a main wall extending across a stream and of a height to impound flood Waters, the bottom part of the wall having an opening therein for the passage of the normal ow of Water of the stream, a short wall paralleling the first Wall and spaced from the down-stream face of the first wall and located in rear of the opening, end walls connecting the ends of the short Wall Vwith the first Wall, one end wall being located to one side of the opening and the other to the opposite side of the opening, the second Wall and said end Walls being of considerably less height than the first Wall and said short Wall and the end walls acting to impound a certain amount of Water in the stream above the dam but permitting the passage of the normal ow of Water of the stream, said short wall and the end walls discharging the Water directly into the stream bed below the dam. 

